Main attraction for salting vs smoking or drying is the time it takes. Yet, you need to come back 5 days later to collect the salted protein. And coming back deducts usability that we can get by smoking. I.e. if I have to come back for the protein, why not take it to cabin to begin with?
As salting doesn’t require water and tub, we presumably heavy salt in-game.
So other than game mechanic from all other cooking, why can’t our characters pack the salted protein and let it cure in the rucksack?
In short, allow salted food to be picked up, before it’s “cooked”/cured. Don’t allow eating it before cooked/cured.